State Symbols

The National Flag of Greece consists of
four white and five blue alternating horizontal stripes, with a white
cross on the upper left corner. Blue and white are the national colours
of Greece, as blue symbolizes the sky and seas and white denotes the
purity of the Greek independence struggle. The cross represents the
Christian religion. The nine blue-and-white horizontal stripes of the
flag stand for the nine syllables of the Greek motto Eleftheria i
Thanatos (Greek for Freedom or Death).

The National Anthem

The Hymn to Liberty (or Hymn to Freedom)
is a poem written by Dionysios Solomos (1823) and consists of 158
stanzas. It was set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros, (1865) and it is the
longest national anthem in the world by length of text. This anthem is being performed at every closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, to pay
tribute to Greece as the birthplace of the ancient Olympics.

(English translation by Rudyard Kipling)

We know thee of oldOh divinely restored,By the light of thine eyesAnd the light of thy sword. From the graves of our slainShall the valor prevailAs we greet thee,As we greet thee again,Hail, Liberty! Oh, Hail!

The National Emblem

The
national emblem of Greece, also known as the coat of arms of Greece,
consists of a blue crest with a white cross totally surrounded by two
laurel branches. The first Greek national emblem was provided for by the
Constitution of Epidaurus of 1 January 1822.

The colours of the national emblem of
the Hellenic Republic are blue and white. An additional design with
golden laurel leaves appears on the caps of the military officers of the
Hellenic Armed Forces as well as on the flag of the President of the
Republic.